Article on Love Spells

Yes, I know the author isn't very 'popular' here but sometimes, she comes up with some good articles. Anyways, this is her article regarding love spells. I agree with quite a bit of it and there's a couple thoughts that I hadn't considered yet. I was wondering if anyone would like to discuss the article or Love Spells in general.

I like that article. It makes me feel like I should check out more of her stuff.

I like her differentiation between Lust and Domination spells, and the type of magic that helps to find a good partner, heals relationships, and so on. I think it is a valid point to make that there is a far cry between "find me a lover" and "make this person like me no matter what."

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'Sir,' I said to the universe, 'I exist.'

'That,' said the universe, 'creates no sense of obligation in me whatsoever.'

Wow, someone else thinks the way I do about Love Spells being 'Darker' ... Love spells to manipulate the body, heart, and soul. Love spells to dominate, to bind, to cause destruction and madness and pain.

Love spells are not about love, they are about the lustful eye and the selfish heart. Be honest with yourself about it.... Well said.

Gotta laugh seeing 'White' magic love spells: Make Him Love You, Get Her Back and such.. it's not soooo not 'white'... Silly rabbit (or bunny)

I also agree there is a difference by lending a helping, witchy hand to established couples who willingly came and stayed together is work I've done, but LOVE SPELL isn't exactly what I'd call it, either. Love Related, yes.

Her bluntness regarding how 'love' spells cast on certain people can end badly, very badly is also refreshing... As if love doesn't have enough ways of going wrong, as is.

RoseRed: Let's do it...

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The difference between Medicine and Poison is the Dose. I Love you as certain Dark Things are to be Loved, In Secret, Between the Shadow and the Soul.- Pablo Neruda

I rather like her stance on love magic. I've got less moral objection to hexing than I have to casting love spells. To my mind a person who I wish to hex must have done something to warrant me (especially laid back old me...) wanting to harm them. I therefore see my actions as punishing/correcting their wrong so to my mind they are not a victim. Love spells however manipulate the innocent and undeserving into an action (love/lust for someone) that goes against their natural instincts. I'd find it harder to justify that to myself.

Also, the thing never mentioned about love spells, tricky magic to pull off. There's a lot easier branches of magic for the beginner, why introduction to the craft books are always filed with love magics boggles me...

Big problem with love magic is sense goes out the window too often, people get wrapped up in their own spells, etc. I recall a conversation with a close friend discussing binding someone from your heart, for at least a time, which I think would really be an invaluable method to learn, in the same vein!

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"The truth about the world, he said, is that anything is possible. Had you not seen it from birth and thereby bled it of its strangeness it would appear to you for what it is, a hat trick in a medicine show, a fevered dream, a trance bepopulate with chimeras having neither analogue nor precedent, an itinerant carnival, a migratory tentshow whose ultimate destination after many a pitch in many a mudded field is unspeakable and calamitous beyond reckoning." - Cormac McCarthy

Oooo, interesting! I have recently been called to do a spell relating to love/sex/spicing things up. I've not much experience in that area, as I've never had the need, apart from 'healing the heart' type spells for those who have had difficult relationships. Citoyenne - those sound exciting. Definitely more up my street than the 'want[ing] them to hurt so they will come back to you' variety.

I don't know if I could ever do the traditional lust after me type. I don't think SAL mentions it in the article, but I'm sure in Aradia there is a bit on love magick. Changing a woman into a dog to get her into the house, then to a woman and upon going home remembering nothing but confused fragments? That's a pretty extreme love spell comparatively to me making a cuppa or some massage oil. I've not studied Italian Witchcraft, so not sure about historical background and context, so would be interested to hear it. I assume Charles Leland altered some stories for the purpose of the book, as most authors would? I know we've got some Italian Witches on here, so always interested to hear more on that. Thought it might be worth a mention as it sounds similar to those which force intoxication - though in this case, it sounds more like being put into a trance. Certainly another love spell with questionable ethics - as Nikki says, I can imagine how weird this type of magic gets and those true intoxication type spells don't sit well with me.

Nikki, also agree it says a lot about the state of humanity. I love Tarot, for example, but find so many people desperate to know if 'he' is coming back or 'she' might be cheating, so I tend to avoid the online communities and forums.

Sidenote: Why is Sarah Anne Lawless not very popular? Or is that a bit taboo to ask? (Apologies in advance if it is.)

Love magic is really something that has to be worked at, it's not a one and done sort of thing. It's just another facet of a relationship, another way to bond and grow. It's like having nice dinners, doing shared interests etc. Something for lust/spice is a different animal. I'm not sure who your client(s) are but there are always ways to nurture what is already there. It really is the best way of working a love/lust spell. I guess you need to find out what it is exactly that your client(s) want. From there you can determine if it's a spell that you need or a potion.

For example: a love spell that I do for my mister and I is in the late autumn when the last apple is about to fall, it's a renewal of our commitment to winter together, a bind for all time as it were, so death do us not part; when the last apple falls we will still be together. Incidentally we also married in fall. This is a long term working that will continue to develop over time.

On the other hand the tisane listed above is for sharing an afternoon with each other, just enjoying each other's company. The tincture is for an exciting night. These are short term effects as just a part of day to day life.

Ultimately no spell can make a person -love- another, and a lust spell will fade and for some people that is ok if they are just looking to have some fun or have the ability to turn it around into something more serious before it wears off. He and I did start with me making him lust for and chase me but it's been 17 years now, and those old lust spells would have worn off eons ago; clearly those type of spells aren't that bad as long as they don't go into controlling or abusive territory... but even buying someone flowers can be controlling/abusive in some situations. There are always ethical questions when it comes to magic but having willing participants is a heckuva lot easier. I don't really know much about the Italian side of witchcraft so I can't comment there. Hopefully someone will have something to say about that.

BlackbirdSong, have any tips on the healing the heart type of spells? It's not something that there is a lot of material on, but it's definitely a type of magic that is needed! I come across a lot of people online that are always wanting an old partner/boyfriend/girlfriend, despite the fact that their relationships were dysfunctional. My response is always 'nope, not going to help you hurt yourself.'

As for Lawless, well, she has kind of sold out. She's been doing things like offering shamanic workshops and initiations up in Canada, that are only two days long but cost almost two grand, IIRC, and her products tend to be really quite expensive. She definitely has quite a good bit of knowledge that she's been willing to share, so one has to give her credit for that.

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"The truth about the world, he said, is that anything is possible. Had you not seen it from birth and thereby bled it of its strangeness it would appear to you for what it is, a hat trick in a medicine show, a fevered dream, a trance bepopulate with chimeras having neither analogue nor precedent, an itinerant carnival, a migratory tentshow whose ultimate destination after many a pitch in many a mudded field is unspeakable and calamitous beyond reckoning." - Cormac McCarthy

Citoyenne, The apple spell to renew commitment sounds lovely, thank you for sharing that. You've given me some great ideas. I completely agree that everything is situation dependent regarding controlling or abusive behaviour, and about there always being ethical questions in Witchcraft. Apologies if I gave the impression I thought they were a one and done type thing - that wasn't meant at all!

Aurelian, that makes sense re SAL. blimey that's expensive! With healing of heartache, I’ve found sometimes it relates to romantic love, and sometimes it’s familial or with friends, even with the self. So, these are some of the ways that kind of cover those that I might use singly or combined (more often) for a range of heartaches. They tend to be simple and hands on.

Tasting Healing Herbs

Asking first if there is any plant that the person knows of and craves, I would take note of that and any strong feelings, signs or communications I get regarding it. They may feel very out of touch with themselves, or just low and not be able to think of any, and that’s fine and completely understandable. I would get out any herbs mentioned or, if unable to think of any, line up some herbs and/or teas, get them to taste them and see if any call to them or simply feel good. Or I might get a strong feeling at that point to use a particular one. Sometimes using this herb alone as a healer can be good, or I might mix a combination. (And there are always the fallbacks of Rose, Rosemary, Lavender, Thyme and Violet etc.) When the herbs are decided, I’ll prepare them, giving them a sachet to smell, an infused oil or diluted essential oil for use, a spray containing it, adding in a lovely tea for them to drink or getting them to add it to their food or a bath – usually a mixture of these. As a witch, I can use this to try and connect to the plant spirit for advice, just as much as adding healing power into the oils/teas/sachets I give them. I tend towards those three ways of preparing herbs etc. because I find they’re good to get up close and personal with. A tincture taken straight in the mouth often tastes of the alcohol used in the dilution, and taken diluted in lots of water still feel quite impersonal, a bit medicinal. I like for the person who needs the healing to experience it a bit more, the pains of the heart are so very wrapped within that person, and so I feel making the whole experience more personal can help.

To couple with this, I often try to come up with some meals that will really nourish them and feel ‘healing’ that they can add in to their week. Sometimes I will enchant herbs (or spices) to sprinkle into them. These meals are usually made by the person, and I try to encourage that they play some music that lifts their mood or similar while they do it. I will often give them something good, a phrase or image, to focus on whilst they make these meals. I think it’s really important in many people that they themselves get stuck in during healing of their heart (a bit like the experience theory), as many of the people I’ve spent time with struggle to care for themselves and I have often found that to really counteract a healing process.

Bathing

I’ve found bathing has been a successful way (in a natural water source, if possible, but if not then there’s no guilt in home). A ritual I have found successful without the need for full body immersion that works well at home has been bathing of feet (feet that carry the pain, give it to the water) and we both picture the heartache flowing out through the feet as they are bathed. Sometimes I might give them an infusion to drink whilst they have the foot bath and imagine the healing flowing into them that way, while I concentrate on drawing out the heartache. Then I would usually rub healing oils onto them. Although the feet are a personal space, and often kept private, it is not as intrusive as rubbing the chest – which lots of people wouldn’t be comfortable with!
Bathing the eyes has also worked well, and blessing them to see things more positively, see more of the sweeter side of life (sometimes I’ve added a little honey for this). It can also soothe eyes that are sore from crying and herbs can be really useful in an infusion for this. I have found chamomile (particularly Matricaria recutita, now known as Chamomilla recutita) to be very helpful for those who have heartache relating to childhood and have had good success with Daisies (Bellis perennis) for first loves, [emotional] bruising of the heart and to help with reducing the tainted way life is viewed after losing a loved one. Rosemary can be good to give strength or Thyme, which could also be used if too little sleep or nightmares have been a problem. Calendula can be lovely for a good old sunny cheer-up. Giving them an eye bath is like giving back positively to the eyes which have given so many tears and seen so much pain. A charm can be written to wash away painful memories and images to be sung or spoken over them.

Feeling

If they feel they are carrying a lot of pain directly on the chest, then I might draw pain from their heart through their back – which is (like the feet) not as intrusive as the chest. Sometimes they might feel it's carried elsewhere, so I would focus on that area. I might lie my hands upon them or give them a massage where my aim is to connect with the pain within them and move it out, to push or pull away the pain and replace it with healing. I think this way can be quite difficult, as I’ve found that I must be channelling it simultaneously from another source and into the person. If I lose focus, which happened particularly at the beginning, then some of the healing energy would begin to come from my own energy directly and I would (later) burn out.

I have sent it into the sea, sometimes to the land, a river/stream or even to the wind (the wind is a personal favourite for bearing my own maladies), the idea being that redistributing the energy to a larger force will turn it into something very bearable and create better balance. I did incorporate breath into some wind spells, where they breathed out, or even screamed, the pain onto the wind, and I’ve done this myself as well. I would usually follow this with something, perhaps done by me or perhaps by themselves, to start bringing in peace or reassurance etc. (Bathing, using incense smoke, rubbing oils on them.)

Tears

For those I’ve known, I have wiped tears from their eyes as we have spoken and given them back to the land or the water, asking them to take the heartache with the tears. If this is not possible, I have prayed to my Deity or spirits (or theirs where appropriate) to take the tears, the pain, and give healing. Sometimes I would do this before giving an eyebath.

Poetry

I have enchanted a piece of handwritten poetry, or a quote, and given this to people to read. There may be more than one. I have done books for people with different quotes to call on at different times, so perhaps one for giving courage, another when you don’t want to feel alone in a certain emotion. I enchant the book and then give it to them to call on when they need. I’ve always used bog-standard ink and enchanted the book itself and aimed to leave strong feeling with each quote, but I’d be interested to try enchanting inks to use for different reasons, like courage and hope. The overall enchantment is one of healing and growing that healing each time it’s read by that person, with the separate feelings coming within that.

Similarly to this, I have plans to link healing to a pop (or their favourite genre) song they can listen to wherever they are so that whenever a certain song is played the healing is increased. I’m not sure why I’d never thought of it before but it’s now definitely down to give a go! I’ve linked it to a repeated chant before, and sung over them/got them to join in but somehow never done it linked to a popular music type song, so will definitely give that a go when the time/need is right.

Although I work with crystals, I haven’t used them hugely within this context before. However, a friend used them very successfully for a heart healing spell (and also for another spell to come off alcohol) – she infused water with their power and drank it daily for a period of time. She says they worked well. The main way I have worked with them is to give the person one to hold when they are either repeating a charm, drinking an infusion or at points where they feel they need it such as a difficult conversation or difficult event or perhaps a moment in the day where they feel it’s creeping on top of them. Sometimes I might give a crystal or make an amulet for a person to go alongside an infusion.

A lot of those involved have had long term problems that won’t be healed in one go, but a big boost and then follow ups can really help. There have been others who haven’t had chronic issues through life, those who have had a hard time at that point, but have good coping skills to draw upon in the first place and have had long periods of feeling content and happy in the heart throughout their life. They may only need a single ritual to set them on the healing strait.

There are also lots of people who have had lots of struggles in life, sometimes feeling like they deserve the heartache, and I’ve found they need longer, progressive spells that keep adding healing over time. It is so dependent on the heartache and the person. The worst times are when there is success at the beginning but it doesn’t last, and the best times are when someone who's heart has been really hurting for a long time breaks out of it and there is lasting healing. What I’d love for the future is to work on it and be able to do more. I have some ideas which I'm trying to develop more, so I’m hoping one day I’ll be able to do that, and that’s partly why I’m training in Herbal Medicine, because one day it would be truly wonderful to weave it all together fully!

Just as a side note, I've used apple in love spells before, and I can verify that they work very, very well in this context. Specifically I've used them for love drawing, and these spells have been quite successful.

Edited by Aurelian, 21 February 2018 - 03:47 PM.

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"The truth about the world, he said, is that anything is possible. Had you not seen it from birth and thereby bled it of its strangeness it would appear to you for what it is, a hat trick in a medicine show, a fevered dream, a trance bepopulate with chimeras having neither analogue nor precedent, an itinerant carnival, a migratory tentshow whose ultimate destination after many a pitch in many a mudded field is unspeakable and calamitous beyond reckoning." - Cormac McCarthy

I really like that article. I was tempted to do such a spell once but came to the same conclusions myself - that it was dark, destructive and I would have to reap the whirlwind. In other words, I came to my senses. But every so often the idea comes up again - seductive, a 'what if'. Part idle curiosity which is the worst reason to do such a working. Partly an odd mix of desire and retaliation which is probably the basis of a lot of these kinds of spells.

I have engaged in the dark magic of love spells before about one year ago. This was one of my first spells, and it worked, even better than I had planned it. Mind you i’d only do this for sweet revenge, I’d never come back to someone who hurt me. I wanted to watch him squirm in pain, and I got my wish to the letter. Mwahahahaha 😈

When she says be honest with yourself, she means it. I knew what I really wanted, and why. And I have no guilt over getting my due vengeance. I think this was a very important factor behind this spell working for me without any type of backlash on my end. So overall, I think this is the most accurate depiction of what love spells really are. Intent is deeply tied into any spell, but I feel it is even more so with love magic. So her stressing personal honesty about the selfish and vengeful nature of some of these spells is something I fully agree with.